Trace-buckle.



No. 787,015. PATBNTBDJAPIR. 11. 1905.

' W. L. WALTON.

TRACE BUCKLE.

' APPLMIOATION IEILEII)V JULY 30, 1904.

Wl. Www,

Inventor l lUNrrnnl' STATES Patented April 11,-19o5`` PATENT OFFICE.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

y SI-"ECIlICA'lION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 787,015, dated April 11, 1905.

Application flld July 30, 1904;. Serial No. 218,926.

To all whom, 7125 777/057./ concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WALTON, a citizen of the United States, residing vat Neche, in the county of Pembina and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Trace-Buckle, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in trace-buckles, and has for its object to provide an inexpensive, durable, and eflicient device of this character which may be 4 quickly and conveniently adjusted, will hold the straps firmly in position, and will also flexibly support the back-band and girth- .Straps of the harness and prevent abrasion and chafing of the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction andV novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,l and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a side elevation.r Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view of the base-frame detached. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4, illustrating a modification of a portion of the construction. A

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several iigures of the drawings.

The improved device comprises a base member 10, having a stud 11 extending laterally therefrom and preferably near one end thereof, said stud being adapted to engage one of a series of apertures in the draft-trace, a portion of which is represented at 12. The opposite end of the base member is provided with a loop 13, through which the tracey passes for connection 4with -the swingletree, said loop having an eye 14 of the usual form for the holdback-strap. The plate 10 is provided with oppositely-disposed laterally-extending ears v16 17, upon which the loops 18 19 are pivoted, as, indicated at 20 and 21, said loops being adapted to receive the backband and girth-strap represented, respectively, at 22 23. By this means the girth and back' straps lare flexibly united to the plate 10, so that any vibrations of the traces incident to the motion of the horse in traveling will not affect the girth or back strap, thereby eifectually preventing abrasion or chaiing of said straps.

The forward part of the plate 10 is provided Y With inwardly-extending lugs 24 25, Which engage a U-shaped loop 26, the latter serving to support a hame-tug 27 and having its adjacent endsY bent inwardly, as indicated at 28 29, and pivoted in suitable ears or lugs 31, secured to lal base-plate32, bearing against the outer face of the draft-trace. The plate 32 is provided With-a longitudinal aperture 33, through Whichthe free end of the stud 11 may project if the trace 14 is thin enough to permit it, and thus avoid interference With the action of the plate when applied to thin or partially-worn traces.

It Will be obvious that When a draft is applied to the trace 14 the plate 32 will be foroibly compressedupon'the trace by a strong leverage exerted upon the U-shaped loop 26, and` the pressure being distributed over a wide area of the surface of the strap does not produce the objectionable scissors-like action so common in devices of this character as heretofore manufactured.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a modified form lof the invention capable of being employed in connection With some forms of harness. In this case the member 26 is provided at one end With an integral transverse plate 34, which serves substantially the same function as the plate 32 in Fig. 1.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In a buckle, a base having means for adjustably coupling the draft-trace and hametug thereto, and means for fiexibly connecting the back-band and girth portions of the harness to said frame in position to swing lon- IOO 2. ln a buckle, a base-frame having means for adjustably coupling the draft-trace and hame-tug thereto, ears projecting laterally from the opposite edges of the iframe, and eyes pivoted to swing upon said ears and adapted to support the back-band and girthstraps, respectively.

3. ln a buckle, a base having a laterallyextending stud near one end thereof for engagement With the draft-trace and provided at its opposite end with laterally-extending ears, eyes pivoted to said ears for receiving the hack-band and girth-straps, respectively, and means connecting the haine-tug to the 'frame in position to exert a bearing force upon the draft-trace.

4. ln a trace-buckle, a frame having a stud near one end thereof for engagement with a draft-trace and provided at its opposite end with a loop adapted to receive said drafttrace, said frame being provided with terlninal laterally-extending lugs adapted to engage the loop and intminediate lateral ears to which the hack-hand and girth-strap eyes are pivoted, a U-shaped frame engaging said lugs and having a haine-tug connected thereto7 and a plate pivoted to the U-shaped frame and hearing upon the draft-trace.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aliixed iny signature in the presence of two \\'itnesses.

WILLIAM 1J. VVAl/lON.

Vitnesses:

ROBERT J. Hannan, JonN ll. MACKEinmcnnn. 

